Cudas coach meets with standards office; to coach Friday night

An investigation into the incident that involved football players running through the band as they performed will likely include interviews with other people involved.

RICHARD CONNSTAFF WRITER

New Smyrna Beach High School's football coach said "of course" he will be on the sidelines Friday after he met with Volusia County Schools officials about a pregame run-in between his team and the Spruce Creek High marching band. Coach Lance Jenkins and his staff met with the school district's Office of Professional Standards Director Sandy Hovis on Wednesday to discuss the incident that included a number of Barracudas players running a practice play through Spruce Creek's band while they were performing their pregame show Friday on senior night. "The meeting went well," Jenkins said in a text message Wednesday, minutes after his team finished its practice. "They are just gathering facts. Nothing has been decided." The meeting was not open to the public. Nancy Wait, spokeswoman for Volusia County schools, said that an investigation into the incident by Hovis will likely include interviews with other people involved. "He has several people that he needs to interview to get both sides so that a decision can be made regarding any action," she said. New Smyrna Beach capped off an undefeated regular season by defeating Spruce Creek 41-14. The Cudas are scheduled to host a playoff game Friday against Winter Haven.Jenkins said in the text that his job was never in jeopardy. If disciplinary action were to be taken against Jenkins or any other employee as a result of the investigation, Wait said state law requires the school district wait 10 days before announcing that action publicly. Some Spruce Creek band parents felt the Barracudas went too far during warm-ups Friday by running between the Hawks band members. Jenkins has countered the Cudas pregrame warmups were within the rules. He said Spruce Creek coach Bob Goebel had emailed him earlier that afternoon to ask that his team finish warmups by 6:35 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game, and that he complied with that request. He claimed, however, that the Hawks band began marching on the field by 6:30 p.m. Mark Scott, whose daughter is a senior at Spruce Creek and member of the band, disputed Jenkins' time frame and said the Cudas did not leave the field by 6:35 p.m. "It was easily after 6:40 (p.m.) because the 20-minute clock had already started," Scott said. New Smyrna Beach High School Principal Jim Tager sent a written apology to Spruce Creek administrators Tuesday for his football program's behavior during the incident. "I take responsibility for the fact that during the pregame warm-ups when the Spruce Creek band entered the field, that our coaches and players did not stop running our last two scripted pregame plays," Tager said in the letter. "This is a judgment that we will correct in the future and one that I personally regret occurred during your home game." Neither Tager nor Spruce Creek Principal Todd Sparger could be reached for comment Wednesday. Despite the incident, Scott said he didn't think Jenkins should be disciplined. "I think a written apology by him would be fine," he said.